<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>The Safety off the Gun by Starjargon</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28245801">The Safety off the Gun</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Starjargon/pseuds/Starjargon'>Starjargon</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Bucky Barnes Bingo 2020 Crossover Series- Meet all the People! [10]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Captain America (Comics), Captain America (Movies), Captain America - All Media Types, Chuck (TV), Leverage, White Collar (TV 2009), X-Men (Comicverse), X-Men (Movieverse), X-Men - All Media Types</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Crossbones origin, Eliot Spencer has rage issues, Episode Related, Episode: s01e12 The First David Job, Episode: s02e02 The Tap Out Job, Father-Son Relationship, Fighting, Fighting appropriately, Foreshadowing, Gen, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Kid Fic, Origins, Protective Bucky Barnes, Protective Eliot Spencer, Sam Lisa is Sarah Walker, Self-Defense, Teacher Logan, They need to find peace, Wolverine goes berserker</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-31</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-31</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 18:15:02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,463</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28245801</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Starjargon/pseuds/Starjargon</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Bucky has a few lessons to teach about self-control. They may even be more important than the lessons Wolverine gives.</p><p>Bucky Barnes Bingo U2: Yoga/T'ai Chi</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Eliot Spencer &amp; Sarah Walker (Chuck), James "Bucky" Barnes &amp; Eliot Spencer (Leverage), James "Bucky" Barnes &amp; Logan (X-Men), Sarah Walker &amp; Neal Caffrey &amp; Eliot Spencer</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Bucky Barnes Bingo 2020 Crossover Series- Meet all the People! [10]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2060016</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Bucky Barnes Bingo 2020</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. A Path Diverged in the Woods</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>First off, I want to say THANK YOU to the organizers of this event. The low-key pressure has helped me deal with some of the worse anxiety/writer's block I've had in quite a while. I was hoping to reach blackout, but it's just not in the cards. </p><p>This story was meant to go an entirely different direction, but it took off on its own toward the middle, and I'm mostly satisfied with the random place it ended up. I forgot until I'd already incorporated Neal and Sam (which is Sarah Walker's real name) that Neal Caffrey and Sarah's first love Bryce Larkin had... quite a bit in common. So, let's pretend she fell in love with Bryce because he reminded her of an old friend...</p><p>Though I have more stories planned and plotted for this universe, this will be the last in my official submissions to Bucky Barnes Bingo, and FINALLY give me a bingo diagonally. When I am able to return to this series, it will probably be receiving a name change.</p><p>Thank you to everyone who has stuck with this random series so far, you have been most encouraging!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p><em>“I’m sure we can come to an agreeable arrangement,’’ </em>Logan Howlett spoke the Japanese words carefully, enunciating each word as he led Bucky in precise Tai Chi movements.</p><p>“<em>I’m sure we can come to an agreeable arrangement,”</em> the children repeated, also following Logan’s movements. They had met the short, burly man a couple of years ago, though Bucky has vague memories of having met him during the War.</p><p>He’d been crashing on Bucky’s sofa for months now, popping in and out of town as he pleased, but when he did come round, Eliot and Neal were quick to corner him to teach them more from his vast assortment of skills.  </p><p>Bucky had insisted Eliot learn multiple languages, and at Neal’s Aunt Ellen’s urging, he’d been teaching the boy as well. Howlett was not only able to expand on those language skills, but the fighting skills Bucky had been carefully cultivating in both boys.</p><p>However, recently, with the arrival of Sam, a little girl whose father was quick to earn Bucky’s distrust, Neal had taken more of an interest in conning people rather than fighting them. Poorly. And convincing Eliot to try the same.</p><p>Whenever Bucky and Eliot have days of practicing Hebrew, Russian, Romanian, German, or Japanese, it’s just a given that Neal will also be at their house, soaking up the language as he soaks up any other knowledge. Soon, Sam is a regular fixture at their house as well. It’s all Bucky can do to come up with ways of challenging all three kids, teaching them important skills without encouraging them to use those skills for nefarious purposes.</p><p>One day, Sam’s dad comes to him asking if Bucky’s seen his daughter. Come to think of it, Bucky hadn’t seen Eliot in a while either.</p><p>When he finally finds him downtown, it’s in the middle of a large group of rowdy boys. Unfortunately, their parents seem to have figured out there was a commotion as well. Eliot has his hands up, having thrown one of the boys on the ground twice and using martial arts techniques Bucky had been trying to instil were for <em>defence</em> on the boy. The boy, unsurprisingly, gets back up, angrier than ever, and lunges at Eliot again, clearly untrained and emotional. Eliot has a look of fury on his face, his stance poised to do actual harm.</p><p>Logan steps in and catches the boy, pushing him back and separating the two, much to the anger of the boy’s father, who seems to believe Eliot deserves whatever beating the boy (thought) he could give him.  Bucky pushes the boys to opposite sides of the ruckus, then turns to the other, more dangerous fight brewing between the adults.</p><p>The red-faced man is already clearly past tipsy and is spitting in Howlett’s face as he shouts obscenities about right and wrong. It’s not until he pulls out a gun, drunkenly waving it around, that Logan finally steps up to him, clearly upset that a children’s argument has devolved into weaponry. He takes the gun out of the man’s hand, unloading it and tossing it aside.</p><p>The man’s friends step into the fray now, indignation and liquor burning through them as they surround Logan, holding him in place for the man to attack. Logan gets punched in the gut twice before he stands, hitting the man again and again, until Bucky finally steps in and stops Howlett with his gloved left hand.</p><p>“Eliot. Go to the car. <em>Now.</em> Logan, go check on the other kids.”</p><p>He looks around, sees the man’s son staring angrily at Eliot before looking at his father, and a look of intense shame far too familiar to Bucky crosses the boy’s face. The man’s friends have dragged him away, leaving the humiliated boy with his hands still in fists, a grimace of helpless rage on his face.</p><p>He looks at the boy, at the furious tears he knows he tried to stop falling, just as Bucky used to try when his own father lost control.</p><p>Bucky comes and looks down at him, crossing his arms casually over his chest.</p><p>“I don’t know what happened here,” he began.</p><p>“Your son is a dirty cheat,” the boy responded.</p><p>“But your rage gives him power,” he ignored the outburst, indicating the boy’s father. The boy looks away, about to spit something else at Bucky. “A good fighter can separate emotions from the moment. You can be more effective if you don’t make things personal, keep a clear head. All anger does is cloud your mind and gives your opponent something to feed off. There are also a few fighting techniques that can be effective in stopping even those who seem most powerful.” He encourages the boy, remembering the control he felt when he was this age and discovered boxing, and the focus it gave him against a father who always made him feel helpless when he drank. “It’s all just a matter of hard work and training.” The boy stared at him, and Bucky can <em>see</em> the wheels turning in his head.</p><p>“<em>Brock!”</em> the boy’s father yelled incoherently, before the boy turned away from Bucky as though the other man didn’t matter.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. The One Less Travelled</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Eliot was silent on the ride home.</p><p>“What’d he mean, you’re a dirty cheat?”</p><p>Eliot glared, before turning away and muttering at the window.</p><p>Bucky caught the words, but he wasn’t about to let his son off this easily.</p><p>“What was that?” he demanded loudly.</p><p>“We were playin’ a game and all put in somethin’ we liked. He wouldn’t give me my yoyo back. I told Sam I could get her watch if she just pretended to get hurt so they’d all pay attention to her.”</p><p>“Did you get her watch back?” Bucky asked icily.</p><p>Eliot shook his head.</p><p>“Were you even planning on it?” his voice rose steadily.</p><p>Eliot shrugged.</p><p>“So, you mean, all this was because you tricked Sam? Let me guess, you got a few other things from the pile?”</p><p>“I was gonna share.” Eliot replied defensively.</p><p>“People got hurt, Eliot! You lied, you cheated, you stole, and you tricked your own friends.”</p><p>“Sam would have understood, once I explained,” Eliot argued, crossing his arms over his chest petulantly.</p><p>“I don’t care,” Bucky disagreed furiously. “You <em>never</em> trick your own team. You need to be able to trust each other <em>no matter what,</em> or there’s no point in the team existing. Back in my service days, we would have died for each other. What you just did- it’s inexcusable. And honestly, son. I’m ashamed. You could have seriously injured that boy, and for what? Just to show off.”</p><p>“Well, I’m better than them!” Eliot shouted. “I’m faster, stronger, and fight way better than any of them. Do you know what that’s like? To just need to <em>hit</em> something, just because you can, and you know you can win?” he was breathing loudly, passion in his voice as he tried to explain himself.</p><p>Bucky ponders this a moment.</p><p>“And what about Logan? Did he matter? Did the fact Brock could have seriously hurt Sam if he’d gone after her instead even cross your mind?”</p><p>That shuts Eliot’s mouth faster than anything else, the boy’s face paling at the possibility.</p><p>When they get home, he sends Eliot to his room, door open.</p><p>When Logan stops by later that night, they have a long chat.</p><p> </p><p>Logan wakes Eliot early the next morning.</p><p>“Come on, Bub. Gonna teach you another skill. This one’s important.”</p><p>“What kind of fighting is it?”</p><p>“It’s not fighting. It’s called yoga.”</p><p>“If it’s not fighting, then why learn it?” Eliot asks, still simmering from yesterday.</p><p>“Actually, it was your pops that suggested it,” Howlett explains, handing Eliot a large mat.</p><p>Eliot glares over at his father, who is staring straight ahead and breathing deeply.</p><p>An hour later, when a special kind of peace has descended over the three of them, Bucky finally talks, addressing both of the other two. “We are <em>not</em> animals. The greatest weapon you have at your advantage is self-control. Hitting just for the sake of it accomplishes nothing. But learning, keeping that inner beast at bay, keeping control over who you are, that makes you powerful. It’s also a gift that should never be taken for granted.”</p><p>“How would I ever forget who I am?” Eliot scoffs, missing the regret in both Bucky and Logan’s eyes.</p><p>“Sometimes it means knowing when to stay down in a fight you know you can win,” Bucky answers, staring at his son meaningfully.</p><p>“What if I don’t <em>know</em> how to stay down?” Eliot fires back, but without heat.</p><p>Bucky laughs quietly, sharing a look with Logan, before clasping his son’s shoulder on the way back inside.</p><p>“<em>Good,</em>” he thinks he hears his father say.</p>
  </div></div>
</body>
</html>